In today's world more and more applications are using ethernet for connectivity. Not only to interconnect systems on a large scale, but to also interconnect integrated circuits (ICs) on a small scale. Using ethernet to connect ICs, though, typically involves using a switch. However, most layer-2 type switches have simple or limited buffer management or flow control. Moreover, the ICs themselves typically are not suited for consuming bursty traffic and can overflow their buffers using simple layer-2 switching.
Like reference numbers and designations in the various drawings indicate like elements.